The reality of a room, for instance, was to be found in the vacant space enclosed by the roof and the walls, not in the roof and walls themselves. The usefulness of a water pitcher dwelt in the emptiness where water might be put, not in the form of the pitcher or the material of which it was made. Vacuum is all potent because all containing. In vacuum alone motion becomes possible. One who could make of himself a vacuum into which others might freely enter would become master of all situations.
The Book Of Tea
I spent a greater part of my life thinking of vacuum as a harrowing hollowness inside ones soul or emptiness in ones heart or in the physical world cold, bare and sad rooms - in short, nothing to look forward to - until I read this beautiful passage by Kakuzo Okakura.
I remember reading this some ten years back and as the words slowly sank in, being deeply, profoundly affected by it. It was that moment of clarity for me. How wrong I had been all along! thinking vacuum was something to be avoided, to be dreaded - it is the greatest gift you can possess whether it is inside you or around you!
Let us look into this objectively.
The quality of a room, its functionality and the aesthetics based on that functionality are defined by its space - in fact that is the first thing that interior designers look at when given a design project. The space available. The placement of furniture, the scale of furniture, the choice of colours and textures are all dependent on the space, the vacuum. So vacuum is something to be welcomed, because it opens up endless possibilities for design, for creativity, for in vacuum alone motion becomes possible.
Similarly, vacuum inside us is just a craving of our souls for some need, whether it is empathy, love or friendship. If we open ourselves to receive, we may end up finding the true love or that true friendship. The emptiness within us directs us to the possibility of new experiences, it is a nudge to let people flow in freely into our lives, so it is exciting really, something to look forward to not dreaded or avoided.
So there you have it, vacuum - potent within you and around you, beckons adventure, but only if you recognise as such. But one word of advice - my two pence of wisdom gleaned over last decade - just like a room has more value and more substance if its emptiness is decorated by choice pieces, thoughtfully chosen - so would your life have more substance if you are a tad selective in your choice of people and experiences you allow to fill the the vacuum in your life!
